Thursday, October 3, 2013

Chemical From Beaver Butts Used in Vanilla Production: What This Means About Food

My opinion: Never, ever would I have guessed this! What makes this even more interesting, though, is that the chemical used for vanilla, or castoreum, is often mixed with beaver excrement. The article offers no suggestion as to how the castoreum is separated from everything else. What's more, since the FDA doesn't require that castoreum be labeled as a specific ingredient, how would the public know of this entire process to begin with? I think this article serves as an example that some everyday foods are made in bizarre manners, some of which may or may not be detrimental. I remember once when my kitchen was filling up with worms - no one knew where they were coming from. Then, one day, as I was cleaning out the cereal cabinet, I noticed a box of cereal that had never been opened. When I tore the seal, I saw that the plastic bag inside with the cereal was full of black fly-like bugs, as well as the worms. This was because the cereal was very old, and apparently insect eggs sometimes come in organic, natural cereals, but never hatch because we eat them before they can. I just wish the public was at least more aware of things like this just in case there are negative consequences of utilizing these ingredients, someday. Any thoughts? Feel free to comment.

Beaver butts emit goo used in vanilla flavored foods

Published October 02, 2013

FoxNews.com

Beavers are among the largest of the rodents. (Joel Sartore/National Geographic)

Next time you pick up a vanilla candy, think twice. A chemical
compound used in vanilla flavored foods and scents comes from the butt
of a beaver.
Castoreum comes from a beaver's castor sacs, located between the
pelvis and base of the tail. Due to its proximity to the anal glands,
the slimy brown substance is often mixed with gland secretions and
urine.
"I lift up the animal's tail," Joanne Crawford, a wildlife ecologist at Southern Illinois University told National Geographic. "I’m like, 'Get down there, and stick your nose near its bum.'"
"People think I'm nuts," she added. "I tell them, 'Oh, but it's beavers; it smells really good.'"
Beavers use the brown slime, often compared to a thinner version of
molasses, to mark their territory. The musky, vanilla scent is
attributed to a beaver's diet of bark and leaves.
Manufacture have been using castoreum as an additive in foods and
perfumes for at least 80 years, according to a 2007 study in the International Journal of Toxicology.
But getting a beaver to emit castoreum is not easy. Foodies are
willing to "milk" the animals in order to get their hands on the gooey
substance.
"You can milk the anal glands so you can extract the fluid," Crawford said. "You can squirt [castoreum] out. It's pretty gross."
Only 292-pounds per year is collected because the milking method is unpleasant for all parties involved.
And the worst part? The FDA-approved castoreum is not required to be
listed as an ingredient on food items. Manufacturers may list "natural
flavoring" instead.
Perhaps a bit too natural for us.